Former Stillwater Middle School employee accused of stealing over $90K from ‘sunshine fund’

A former Stillwater Middle School employee faces 12 theft charges for allegedly stealing $90,000 from the school’s “sunshine fund.”

Danielle Elaine Heller, 40, is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from Stillwater Middle School (SMS) dating back as far as 2018 and as recently as 2024.

An investigation into Heller began in April 2025 when authorities were called to speak with leaders at the Stillwater School District. According to the leaders, an internal investigator found that Heller had been stealing money from the district’s “sunshine fund,” a fund used for staff-related and celebration expenses, over a six-year period.

The district said Heller had managed the fund since 2013.

Court records state Heller had made numerous purchases with an account tied to the sunshine fund, including bills for Verizon, Comcast and Xcel Energy, as well as Amazon and restaurant purch...